Marie Curie’s famous Blooming Great Tea Party is going virtual this year and the charity needs tea party hosts in Devon more than ever before to make up for the devastating effect the coronavirus crisis has had on the charity’s income.

The end of life charity is calling on you to throw a Blooming Virtual Tea Party from home this summer. While staying indoors is the new normal, throwing a virtual tea party is a fun way to stay connected to the ones you love during this time and a great way to support nurses working on the frontline of the crisis.

In people’s homes across Devon, the charity is caring for people with terminal illnesses, as well as people with Covid-19, and is protecting the NHS by keeping patients away from hospital. However, as the charity has stepped up its support for the nation, its fundraising income has been devastated by the impact of lockdown measures – it had to cancel its Great Daffodil Appeal in March and closed all its charity shops shortly after.

That is why the charity and its celebrity ambassador, Mel Giedroyc, are encouraging everyone to download Zoom, Skype or Houseparty and connect with friends and family while raising some money at the same time.

Cake lover and tea party extraordinaire, Mel Giedroyc says: “You can bake it, fake it, brew it or stew it – whatever your cup of tea, Marie Curie’s Blooming Great Tea Party is going ‘virtual’ this year and it’s a simple way to keep in touch with your chums, while raising money for a wonderful cause, which, I think you’ll agree, we all need right now".

“Marie Curie needs to raise a massive £2.5million each week to care for the tens of thousands of people who need its nursing and hospice care. This year, the amazing nurses and frontline staff need you more than ever, as the fundraising events they rely on have all been cancelled.

“I’ve met their nurses before. They are inspiring, kind, caring and loving people who are currently caring for people at the end of their lives and keeping people out of hospital, helping the NHS cope with the Coronavirus crisis. Every last crumb of the money you raise will help people at the end of their lives. So please join me by raising a cuppa, and some money, in your lounge or garden for the Marie Curie Nurses on the front line”.

Natalie Garland, Marie Curie Fundraising Manager for Devon said: “Our Blooming Great Tea Party looks a little different this year but I think everyone needs an excuse to meet up with their friends and family – online of course – and check in on the people they love. If you can do that while raising some money for Marie Curie, then your generous donations will enable us to help even more people at the end of their lives get the care they need in this time of uncertainty.

“Last year Marie Curie provided over 50,000 hours of direct nursing care to terminally ill people in Devon. We rely on the support of the amazing public to ensure our nurses can keep caring for people. And while the coronavirus crisis has badly impacted our fundraising events, we hope by going virtual we’ll be able to raise the vital funds we need to keep supporting people in our communities across Devon.”

To register as a Blooming Virtual Tea Party host visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/teapartyor call 0800 716 146 for you fundraising pack full of hints, tips, recipes and fundraising ideas.

Stuck for recipe ideas? You can find plenty of inspiration on the Marie Curie website or why not try out this Coffee, Walnut and Baileys cake recipe kindly provided by Marie Curie South West Community Fundraiser Lynda Thomas.

Method:
Grease two 8” sandwich tins and line the base of each with greased baking parchment.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the flour, baking powder and then eggs and coffee essence. Mix together and then add the chopped walnuts.
Divide into two tins and bake for 25 mins on 180 oC/ Fan 160 oC/Gas 4 until well risen and golden brown.
Whip cream until stands in soft peaks, gently mix in baileys.
When sponge is cold remove from tins and sandwich together with the cream mixture.
For topping mix icing sugar with coffee essence to make a spreadable icing, make sure it is not too runny. Spread over the top of the cake and decorate with truffles and flaked almonds.